Storm (Linear Tactical #10) - Janie Crouch Page 0,70

wedding was in hours and that beautiful gown was ruined. There was no way all that blood would come out.

Maybe Marilyn should try. Maybe she could scrub the blood out of the lace and tulle if she did it very carefully by hand. How many hours did she have until the wedding?

She took a couple of steps toward the couch, and all four of the men moved toward her, arms outreached.

“He’s dead, sweetheart,” Noah whispered. “He can never hurt you again. You don’t have to cry.”

She choked on another sob. This wasn’t about Jared.

“Marilyn, are you worried about being arrested?” Tanner asked. “There’s no need. Jared had a knife in his hand. And Bree has already stated he was charging at you when you shot. You’ll have to give an official statement, but that’s it.”

“No,” she finally got out. She looked over at Bree. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Bree said. “He’s out of your life for good. And I’m moving into Tanner’s house tomorrow anyway.”

Did Bree not realize the problem, either?

“Your dress… It’s ruined!”

Bree shrugged. “Yeah, I know. But I never liked it very much anyway. Still got that denim skirt? Maybe I can borrow that to get married in.”

26

Bree didn’t get married in a denim skirt, Marilyn’s or otherwise. The women of Risk Peak had banded together all night to pull off a miracle—a wedding dress made from pieces of their own wedding dresses. Bree walked down the aisle in a rainbow of white, a one-of-a-kind dress that suited her perfectly. She looked stunning, joyous. Everything a bride should look like on her wedding day.

Marilyn, though, couldn’t keep her eyes off the best man the whole ceremony. Noah was absolutely mouth-watering in his tux.

And he was definitely the best man she’d ever known.

The wedding reception had been held in a park, informal and inclusive, just like the bride and groom themselves.

Everyone spent the morning and a good chunk of the afternoon just enjoying each other and the new couple. Word of Jared’s attack and his subsequent death had gotten around. In a town the size of Risk Peak, nothing moved quite so quickly as the rumor mill.

But there had been no whispers or snide remarks. Not here, not today. Not while two of their beloved own committed their lives to one another. As a matter of fact, Marilyn had received lots of extra hugs and smiles, silent support.

These people were her family. More of a family than she’d ever had the honor of knowing.

Her kids ran around laughing like hyenas during the reception, snapping all sorts of candid pictures due to the instant cameras Barb and Francis had given them. They had taken it upon themselves to make sure there was at least one photo of each guest placed in the scrapbook—the gift the women at New Journeys had made for Bree and Tanner. The kids loved playing photographer.

Especially Sam. She hadn’t seen his face light up in such a way in… ever. Perhaps a thoughtful gift meant to keep the kids entertained during a wedding would become a new, meaningful pastime for him.

She watched them chat and exchange photos and let out a sad sigh.

She was going to have to tell her children that their father was dead, just not right now.

To be honest, she had no idea how they would react. Certainly, it would be no real loss in their regular life. Jared might have been their biological father, but he had never been their dad. They’d had more examples of what a father should be from the men in Risk Peak than they’d ever had with Jared.

So yes, she would tell them that their father had died. When they got older and asked more questions, she would tell them that he died trying to escape from the police.

And when they were truly old enough to understand, she would sit them down and tell them the whole truth, or most of it. Because refusing to talk about what had happened between her and Jared did nothing but allow mistakes to fester and grow. Breaking the cycle started with her and continued with her making sure her kids didn’t fall back into the patterns.

This day was for enjoying a new beginning. In more ways than one.

She enjoyed herself. Enjoyed talking with friends from town and sneaking looks at Noah. Enjoyed stuffing herself on all the food and watching the bride and groom beam at each other.

It wasn’t until later that evening, long after her kids had taken candid